To Love an Enemy
by Akatsuki-nin
Summary: Hinata gets captured by Deidara and Sasori, but when Sakura comes to her rescue, she ends up getting captured herself! Forced to make some hard decisions, her shinobi way is questionable when she begins to love the enemy. DeiSaku
1. Prologue

**Hey all! I'm so excited! I get to be a part of the miniscule group that makes DeiSaku fics! X3 Woot. Seriously, there need to be more stories on Deidara and Sakura out there. It's killin me!!! 0.o Ok, well… here goes!!**

**-- Akatsuki-nin**

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_**To Love an Enemy**_

"Do we have an agreement?"

"…"

Unbeknownst to the sleeping villagers of Konohagakure, feelings of angst, hate, and defiance were coming from a small clearing in the woods, just outside the village. The source of it all came from a navy-blue haired chuunin.

"I asked you a question."

"… I w-will NEVER do it f-for the sake of evil."

"You leave me no choice then."

Muffled cries soon became silent as two figures became one in the pitch-black night.

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**Well, that was nice. lol I left something out in this, but it just makes it more of a mystery to you guys! 3**

**Of course, all of this will be answered as the story progresses. What kind of a writer would I be if your questions aren't answered?!**

'**Til the next time I'm not lazy…**

**-- Akatsuki-nin**


	2. Fond Memories

**I wrote this story in advance, (well, still in progress of completing it XD) so all I have to do now is type it. Woot! I hate keeping people hanging… I want to make everyone (or the majority X3) happy with this fanfic. I'll try!! X0**

**--Akatsuki-nin**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Naruto… Kishimoto-san does :( **

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_**To Love an Enemy**_

It was another bright and sunny day in Konohagakure. Everyone was having fun with all the summer festivities that were occurring; well, almost everyone.

17 year-old Sakura Haruno was stuck doing medical chores in the Konohagakure hospital. Not that she particularly minded. She always loved helping people in need, although when she was younger, she was always depending on others to protect her.

That was before Tsunade-sensei came. Sakura always held Tsunade dear to her heart; she was like a second mother to her…

_**Flashback**_

"_Ugh!" 12 year old Sakura collapsed to the ground from all her training._

"_Ok, we're done here for today. Go home and rest." Kakashi-sensei disappeared in a cloud of smoke._

"_I am sooooo hungry! Ramen sounds good right now." Naruto yawned and stretched._

"_Shut up dobe. You're making my head hurt with your stupidity." said Sasuke, with a hint of annoyance._

_As they walked farther away, Sakura sighed. 'I guess I can go train on my own now…' She proceeded to walk over to a small clearing in the woods. This was her favorite training spot in all of Konohagakure. It was nice and roomy, and had plenty of targets for her to hit when she wanted to practice throwing kunai._

_Little did Sakura know that someone was watching her. As she trained, the mysterious person noted many things about her. 'An unusual hair color… interesting attitude… she could get better with the proper training.'_

_The figure stepped out of the shadows. Sakura then turned sharply, kunai in her hand. "Who are you?" The figure chuckled._

"_I am Tsunade." Sakura's eyes went wide. "Eeek! You're one of the three legendary sannin, and the best medic-nin ever in Konohagakure! I totally idolize you!!"_

_Tsunade grinned. "I see you know a lot about me." She looked around, and then said, "Why are you training alone?"_

_Sakura looked down at her shinobi sandals. "I…I'm the one person in my genin group who is the weakest. My other two teammates are always getting me out of tight spots in our missions. So does my sensei. I want to get stronger so that I can actually help- not just be a nuisance."_

"_You're the weakest if you believe you are." Sakura looked up at Tsunade. She smiled kindly down at Sakura. "What are your dreams… uh…"_

"_Sakura. Sakura Haruno."_

"_Right. So, what are your dreams?"_

"_I want to become a great medic-nin, so that I can help others. I also want to become stronger so that I can be known as Sakura Haruno: genius medic-nin and strong protector of Konohagakure; not Sakura Haruno: genius genin. I-I also want to impress someone…" Sakura blushed._

_Tsunade burst out laughing. "I like your honesty Sakura. Go get him!"_

_Sakura beamed._

"_Alright, I've decided. Come with me."_

"_Ne?!" Sakura's mouth dropped with disbelief._

"_I'm going to help you realize your dreams." Then Tsunade chuckled. "I'm not gonna help ya nab your man though. You're on your own there."_

_Sakura laughed as she ran to catch up with Tsunade, her newly adopted sensei._

_**(End Flashback)**_

"Sakura!" A voice snapped Sakura out of her fond memories.

"Hai! I'm coming!!" Sakura hurriedly dropped her deskwork and ran into the next room.

"Yes Tsunade-sensei? What is it?" Sakura looked at her sensei expectantly.

"I have a mission for you." Tsunade looked grim. "You must go and rescue someone."

"Who is it?" inquired Sakura.

"… Hinata Hyuuga."

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**I can't help but feel bad… but hey, it was either Hinata or Kiba, and I didn't exactly want to de-masculate my favorite character, so it ended up as Hinata being the hostage.**

**Yay for Sakura! Boo my laziness!!**

**Til next time!**

**--Akatsuki-nin**


	3. Of Rescues and Irony

**I DEEPLY APOLOGIZE FOR MY LATENESS… XO **

**I'm like, the laziest person ever. Plus, soccer and homework take up most of my life, so yea, I'm occupied all the time. ******

**On a happier note…**

**Woot! ;3 I'm chugging along. 5 reviews so far!! And it's only been 2 chappies!! X3 Special thanks to:**

**frubaforever**

**Sinister Voices**

**cross514**

**FakeCompassion**

**Quietechos**

**I'm so encouraged right now:3 I think/ hope this story will be a hit! XD**

**--Akatsuki-nin**

_**To Love an Enemy**_

"Oh… oh my god…" Sakura fell into a chair and put her head in her hands. Then she looked up into her sensei's grave face. "Does Naruto know about this?" asked Sakura quietly.

"No. I don't want him to do anything stupid. Besides, he's off with Jiraiya, remember?"

Sakura smiled weakly. She knew that Naruto wasn't at Konohagakure currently… but what if he found out anyways? Naruto and Hinata were crazy about each other. They were inseparable.

"More importantly…," continued Tsunade, "the problem is who took her."

"Ne? You know?"

"They tacked a note on a tree. I'm not sure if it's a trap or what, but we definitely know that it was the Akatsuki."

Sakura stood up. "Tell me what to do."

The sound of rustling leaves was in the air as two black-cloaked figures made their way through the dense forest of Konohagakure. One of them was carrying the limp form of Hinata Hyuuga. Suddenly, she twitched and started to move. She groaned with immense pain.

"Awake now, are we?"

Hinata looked up and saw the two men; one was blonde, the other a red head.

"…!"

"Hahaha… everything's going our way, un."

Sakura ran through the same forest, looking left and right for Hinata and her kidnappers. She felt extremely worried. She and Hinata had become very close since Naruto and Sasuke left. They looked to each other for support.

(_Flashback)_

_It was a rare, cold night in Konohagakure; it was very late, and most of the beautiful lights in the village had turned off._

_Except one._

_Sakura Haruno was sitting up in bed reading a book, as she couldn't sleep. Suddenly, there was a timid knock at her door. Sakura got out of bed, stretched, and went to see who was awake at 3 in the morning._

"_Hinata-chan! What are you doing here?" Sakura said with surprise._

"_I…I couldn't sleep. I keep th-thinking about Naruto-kun." Hinata said softly, tears welling up in her eyes._

_Sakura sighed, and gave a small smile. "Come on in… I'll make some tea."_

_Soon they were sitting at Sakura's kitchen table, piping hot tea cups in their hands._

"_S-sakura-chan? Ah… g-gomen nasai… I didn't mean to w-wake you…" Hinata flinched and gripped her tea cup tightly_

"_Oh, no, it's ok. I couldn't sleep either…" Sakura trailed off and looked out the open window._

"_Thinking about Sasuke-kun?" Hinata inquired quietly._

"_Sort of... I mean, I've been sort of losing hope that he'll ever come back. It's been so long… I know he doesn't love me, but a part of me still loves him. I… I think I've given up." Sakura close her eyes._

_Hinata started to say something, but Sakura gently cut her off._

"_It's ok. I've come to terms with it. I can be strong." Sakura then turned to Hinata sharply and said, "Hinata, don't ever lose hope. Naruto's a true shinobi. He will comeback. After all, how can he become the 6__th__ hokage if he doesn't?" _

_Hinata smiled shyly. "R-right. Thank you v-very much Sakura-chan. I f-feel a lot better."_

"_Good." Sakura stood up and began to clear the table. "Why don't we have a sleepover? I can give you an extra pair of my pajamas, and we'll cheer ourselves up, ne?"_

_Hinata closed her eyes and smiled._

_(End Flashback)_

'Hinata… I'm coming. Hold on." Thought Sakura as she raced through the forest, knowing that each tree she passed meant that she was getting closer and closer to her captive friend.

"Gah! What are you g-going to do to m-me?!" cried Hinata as she struggled against the red-head's tight grip on her.

"If your friend doesn't come soon, I may just get…" The blonde licked his lips."_tempted…_"

"Hinata's eyes widened in fear. "Who are you g-guys?!"

The blonde grinned. "Whatever. Let's stop here, shall we?" The two men abruptly stopped, and the red head threw Hinata to the ground.

"The name's Deidara. This is Sasori. Were Akatsukis, if you haven't already guessed, un."

"I-I know where you're from!" Hinata attempted to say bravely.

"Is that so? Well good for you." Sasori looked at Deidara and nodded.

"It's time for a little nap, un!" Deidara pulled his leg back, ready to kick Hinata, when suddenly a very feminine hand prevented him from going any further.

"Don't you dare touch my friend you dirty bastards!"

"S-Sakura-chan!!" cried Hinata.

"Perfect. Just the shinobi we were looking for." grinned Deidara.

'_Huh? What does he mean by that? Were… were Tsunade-sensei's instincts right?'_ Sakura thought as she glared at Sasori and Deidara.

In that short amount of time Sakura had spaced out, Sasori ran up in the blink of an eye towards her. There was a deafening crack as Sakura heard the tree behind her crack in two.

"Shit… forgot she was to be alive." Sasori looked bored.

"Whatever, Danna. We can give her a few injuries she won't forget all too soon, un!" Deidara created one of his clay birds.

Sakura had had enough of their talk. She concentrated her chakra into her hand for one of Tsunade's patented inhuman punches. "Shut up! Let Hinata go!!!" she ran up towards Deidara. As she punched, Deidara moved swiftly to one side, making Sakura miss.

"Nice try, un" he smirked, "but at your current level, you wont get anywhere near me, un."

Sakura glared angrily. "Shut the hell up!!"she screamed again, and focused her chakra into her hand for a second time.

Deidara smirked, and sent the clay bird towards her. The last thing Sakura heard was…

"**Art is a bang, un."**

The bird hit a nearby tree and exploded. Sakura and Hinata were blasted into the air. Sakura hit the ground hard and lost consciousness; Hinata had been knocked hard against a tree and also fell senseless.

Sasori looked at Deidara. "You didn't have to make it that dramatic. Next time, try to make it a little less messy."

Deidara brushed debris off his cloak, made the peace sign and grinned. "Gomen nasai, Sasori no Danna…" He walked over to pick up Sakura. "I'll take her back to the base. What about the other one, un?"

"Leave her. Our mission is complete.

**A/N – I feel really bad for not updating in the longest time… so I'm gonna add the next chapter to this one :3 Again- my bad, and you can mentally kick my ass… ****T.T**

"Unh…" Head throbbing, Sakura sat up and blinked. "Where the hell am I…?" Everything was a blur, and it was so pitch black that she couldn't even lift her hand to her face and see it.

'_A-am I blind?!'_ Sakura panicked and quickly assessed the damage. _'No… not blind; just overreacting…'_ She moved her glowing hand around her body. "Hmm… nothing broken… but my right ankle and knee are banged up really badly. When and how did that happen?"

As she pondered the possibilities, she moved her hand to her head. She had barely brushed the back it when a sudden pain shot through it. She flinched and cried out.

Gasping, Sakura tried to summon up more chakra, but then the blue glow of her chakra in her hand then faded away. _'Damn…'_ thought Sakura, _'This isn't good. What happened to all my chakra?' _

Just then, the door opened and light filled the room, expelling the pitch black darkness.

"Hello my little cherry, un."

"Y-you! Where's Hinata?!"

"You mean the stuttering, weak one? She is most likely traveling back to the village, safe, un. You, however, are a different matter." Deidara's hand took hold of Sakura's face and lifted it into his. His eye scanned her face thoughtfully. Sakura glared at him with utmost hatred.

"Hey, don't get all pissy with me, cherry. Orders are orders." Deidara stood up and grunted. "Come with me, un."

Sakura stared at Deidara. _'What orders?'_ she wondered.

Suddenly she felt herself pulled up. "Are you stupid or something, un? I said let's go."

"I'm not stupid you damn idiot! I can take care of myself!" she said scathingly. She took a step and then collapsed.

Deidara snickered. "For someone who can't even walk, you sure talk tough, un."

"Shut up. I specifically remember, before I passed out, that the only injury I had was my head! What the fuck happened to my leg?!"

Deidara scratched the back of his head and smirked. "Oops… guess I… _dropped_ you along the way here."

"You goddamn fucker! Go to hell!"

"Ok, now you shut up. You're starting to sound like Hidan, and he's fucking annoying, un."

"You just found yourself a BIG problem, Blondie!"

'Blondie' looked down at Sakura's head. "I'm not looking to solve arithmetic, cherry. I just want you to come with me."

"No!!"

"Alright, you leave me no choice, un." Deidara leaned over and picked up Sakura bridal-style.

"Hey, what're you doing?! Put me down!!"

Sakura bitched and tried to get out of Deidara's firm grasp the whole way, which was basically about 4 doors down from the one in which she was imprisoned in.

"Deidara twitched, and then finally yelled, "Do you EVER shut up, un?! Damn, it's like the only thing you're good at is bitching and whining!"

This sudden outburst was enough to stop Sakura's rant. She settled down in his arms and became silent, but still threw hate-laden glances at him.

When they finally reached their destination, Deidara sighed with relief. "Ok, un. This is my room." Deidara opened the door, and they were welcomed by the sight of red and black walls. A window seat was deftly placed in the center of the room. There was also a small desk, a king sized bed, and a beaten up mattress with an old blanket on it.

"That's where you're gonna sleep. I don't want any ifs, ands or buts about it. Besides, I don't give a damn to whatever you say, so deal with it, un."

Sakura sighed. She didn't care anymore. She looked around and saw many shelves just covered with nothing but clay sculptures. She was very impressed, but was careful not to show it.

Deidara had been staring at the pink-haired kunoichi the entire time. She was actually very attractive… her green eyes complimented her shoulder-length hair. She had a nice figure… how old was she? What if… Deidara shook his head. What the hell?

Sakura looked up. "What's up with you? You know, normally sane people don't shake their heads just out of the blue. What do you think you are; a dog? I guess you just proved yourself mental. Congrats to you."

He twitched. Despite her physical appearances, her attitude could use some brushing up.

Sakura continued. "What's up with the clay sculptures? You have enough clay here to make a mountain. Don't you have any other powers? You-"

Then Deidara pushed her to the wall. Sakura struggled. "What are you doing?!"

"Making you shut up, un! All you've done is complain and make sarcastic remarks about everything! Damn, it's starting to get _**really**_ old, bitch!"

Sakura's eyes went wide.

"Jeez, I would take you here and now for your punishment, but I'm not into whores like Kisame! So shut up and plant it!!" Deidara stormed out of his room, slamming the door behind him.

For a very long time, Sakura tried to push down the shame she felt. Why should she feel that way? They kidnapped her against her will. All she wanted was to go home and return back to her normal life. She wasn't usually such a bitch like she was when she was younger. She had changed into a well-mannered teen… or so she thought.

"Maybe I should apologize… but… but what if he doesn't believe me?" Sakura sat down on Deidara's bed. _'Mmm… comfy!'_ she thought. Then she lay down on his bed and smirked. _'He said I was supposed to sleep on that ragged old thing, but I really don't care right now…"_ Sakura closed her eyes. As sleep overtook her, she managed to think one last thought:

'_What will happen if I lower my guard? If I decided to be nice?' _

**OMG WOOT. I feel really really (x infinity) bad about not updating for like a kajillion years… ****T.T ****I was typing it and every now and then I was like, "Hey. What if THIS happened?? No… this is going too fast. This is changing the entire story!!!"**

**So yeah.**

**I sorry**

**I feel unworthy of asking for reviews… --**

**I'll type this faster!! .**

**With love and still asking for forgiveness,**

**Akatsuki-nin**

**alias**

**xjinchuurikix**


	4. Sparrows in Flight

**Alright! the (technically) 3****rd**** chapter:D I'm so psyched, dudes. I'm listening to my I-pod and typing… Woot. Sorry. Totally being random. Yeah. Anyways, who likes System of a Down:P Hahaha lol Anyways… I'm gonna say this now: I'm sorry, but I'm using a lot of vulgarity in the beginning. There's a reason this fic was rated T. ;3 lol**

**On with the chapter!**

**PS- I'm sorry about the lines that separate the different POVs… its kinda weird… I'll try to get it all sorted out from now on…. 0.o**

_**To Love an Enemy**_

Sakura had only slept for a half an hour before she subconsciously sensed another chakra signature. She fluttered her eyes open and saw another pair of eyes just an inch above her own.

"Just out of curiosity cherry, what do you think you're doing in my bed? Are you deaf and stupid?"

"AHHHHHHHHH!" Sakura's head shot up and smacked against Deidara's.

"Frickin A!!!" Deidara put his hands on his head and tried to nurse the pain. During that moment, Sakura had fallen off the bed and landed on the floor. HARD.

"Damn, cherry, you must have a head as hard as rock! Ugh, my head!" Deidara sat on the bed and tried to ignore the throbbing pain. "Frickin A!!" he repeated angrily.

"My bad… Y-you ok?" Sakura said quietly.

Deidara looked up. _'What the…'_

"Here… let me look at your head." Suddenly Deidara found himself staring into a pair of the most beautiful jade eyes he had ever seen. "Hmmm… if I had hit your head any harder, I probably would have given you a grade 1 concussion… that wouldn't have been pretty." commented Sakura as she focused chakra into her hands.

Then a soothing feeling replaced the strong throbs Deidara had felt earlier. He could not help but feel extremely confused. _'Why is she being so nice to me? It doesn't make sense. Only 1 hour ago she was acting like the biggest bitch alive, and now she's some sort of angel? I don't get it!!!'_

"There… feel better now?" Sakura leaned over and moved her hand to his forehead. "I'll try to remove the redness from the bump." After a couple minutes, Sakura was done and she sat next to him.

"Uhh.. Deidara?"

"What."

"I… I'm sorry about earlier. It wasn't my place to start making rude observations…"

Deidara turned to Sakura. She was making full eye contact with him. Her eye pupils weren't dilating or constricting… was she actually telling the truth?

"Can you forgive me?"

"…"

"Deidara?"

"…Whatever. I don't care."

Sakura leaned over and hugged him. "Thank you…"

Deidara turned away, so she wouldn't see him blushing. Then Sakura released him and limped over to one of the many shelves that dotted about his room. She stopped to look at a roaring lion. Its paw was sculpted up to emphasize the ferocity of the roar. She turned to him and said, "Wow. This is really good. How long did it take you to make it?"

He stood up and walked over to it. "Took me a very long time… about a week. My hands were sore after making it."

Sakura gave a small smile. "Nice. If I would have tried sculpting, it probably would have taken me forever… and it still would have turned out crappy."

Deidara grinned. Sakura was surprised. It was probably the first real smile she had ever seen on him, aside from an arrogant smirk. Even if she hadn't known him for even a day, the smile was a welcoming sight. Maybe they could get to be friends.

"Haha… This is my best work."

"I can tell. Even the littlest details are visible, and they help emphasize the beauty of it. It stands out from all the other sculptures." Then Sakura's face became sad. "Although it's breathtaking, it… it won't last forever."

Deidara turned to Sakura, eyes wide.

"True art is only catching a glimpse of it. If it stayed around forever, it would lose the beauty it once had, and it would become just as boring as life itself. Imagine seeing the same pretty thing day after day after day… it would get monotonous and boring, wouldn't it?

She turned to the blonde. He was staring at her, as if astonished by something. "Hey, uh….what's wrong? What did I do?" she looked at him nervously.

"UN!!" cried Deidara, as he hugged Sakura, full force. The ferocity of the simple hug sent them flying onto Deidara's bed. Sakura gasped for air. "Hey, hey, hey!" He released her sheepishly. "Sorry… un."

Their eyes met briefly, but they turned away, blushing profusely.

"Dude. What the fuck."

Sakura looked at the door and saw a muscular, white-haired man. A 3-bladed scythe rested on his shoulder, and his cloak was stained with blood. The cloak was open part way, revealing his chiseled chest.

'Wow…' thought Sakura incredulously. 'He has a great body at such an old age!'

The "old" man continued. "Fuckin shit, girl, you could do a LOT better." He began laughing loudly.

Sakura blushed and gave a small smile.

"Dammit Hidan!! I'm NOT a girl!!!"

Sakura blinked. What was going on…? She thought for a second, and then realized what the other guy was saying. The white-haired man had been studying her closely. "Not so quick on the uptake, are we?"

"Hey shut up, you old man!!"

Now it was Deidara's turn to laugh. Sakura gave him a confused glance, as if to say, 'What's so funny?'

Hidan swirled around, grabbed Sakura roughly by her shoulders, and began to scream, "I AM **NOT** AN OLD MAN!!! I'M ONLY 28!!!" **A/N- Sorry… I'm just guessing. I don't think immortals have ages, but what the hey; it's a fanfic ;3**

"WELL **SOR-RY**! IF IT WASN'T FOR YOUR FUCKING HAIR, I WOULDN'T HAVE SAID THAT!!"

"WHERE DO YOU GET OFF, DISSING MY HAIR?! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE EVEN OPENED YOUR FUCKING MOUTH AT ALL, BITCH!!!"

"YOU SHOULD ALL SHUT UP!! IF ANY OF YOU BASTARDS LOSE THEIR VOICE AND GET SICK, WE'LL HAVE TO PAY DAMN GOOD MONEY TO FUCKING HEAL YOU!!! NOW SHUT UP!!!"

**A/N- Guess who… ;P lol**

Everyone turned to stare at the door to see the interloper.

"STAY OUT OF THIS KAKUZU, YOU FUCKIN BASTARD!!!" screeched Hidan.

"Whether you like it or not, you have to come with me. Leader wants us to report on our last mission." Kakuzu replied coolly. "Now get your ass over here."

As they left, Hidan grumbled, "What the fuck is up with that old bastard? He doesn't do anything while we work our asses off. This sucks."

Hidan slammed the door closed, and silence had returned to the room. Deidara sighed and finally said, "Remember what I said about you and Hidan when we were in the jail cell? Well now you know what I mean, un."

Sakura twitched.

"Well, I'm going to bed, un. Now, unless you wanna get kinky while I'm undressing, then I suggest you go find something to eat, un." he grinned mischievously.

Sakura shot him a disgusted look and speedily limped out of the room. She wandered down the hall, looking left and right at the many doors that surrounded her. "Jeez!" she whispered with frustration. "This place is like a maze!"

After wandering about for 15 minutes, she finally found the kitchen… or at least so she thought. I was so disgusting that it was beyond recognition. **A/N- the Sea of Decay returns!!! 0.0 lol Fruits Basket ;P **Mice scurried at the sudden intrusion of the pink haired kunoichi. Pots and pans were piled high into the sink, and some sort of… unknown substance grew on the black, grimy dishes.

"Man!!" Sakura gasped and put her hands to her mouth. "How do they freakin live?!"

Just then, she was roughly pushed aside by two men, one of whom Sakura recognized, and the other with blue tinted skin. Could he even be considered a man?

'I-is that…?' wondered Sakura.

"Damn! No food?! What the hell are we gonna do?!" yelled the blue skinned man…thing.

"Calm down Kisame." said the other man tonelessly. He turned and then saw Sakura. He paused for a moment, and stared intently at her with his blood red eyes.

**X**

Tsunade sat at her desk, which was piled with paperwork. Being Hokage had its perks, but it also came with a bunch of work. _'And Naruto wants to be Hokage… why?!'_ thought Tsunade grumpily as she sorted though the piles.

Suddenly Shizune barged through the door. "Lady Tsunade! Come quick! You must take a look at this!!"

Tsunade hurried from her desk and dashed out the door. Shizune led her to the front of the village. "Shizune! Where are we going? What's so urgent that the Hokage is needed? Is it Sakura?!"

Shizune looked grim as they jumped off a roof and onto a nearby tree. "No, my lady. It's worse."

They soon arrived at the front gate, only to be greeted by the sight of a bloody, half-conscious Hinata, leaning on the stone wall of the village. Her chuunin outfit was ripped to shreds, and her breathing was short and ragged. She was so injured that it took all her strength just to stay conscious. "H..hokage-sama… S-Sakur-" she shuddered and then fell to the ground.

Tsunade hurried over. "Hinata! Hold on!" She began to concentrate chakra into her hands.

"I'm sorry Lady Tsunade. I knew I couldn't do this alone, so I asked for your help." Shizune had already begun closing the many scratches that were on Hinata's arms.

"You did the right thing, although if we had arrived any later, she would have been dead. We'll just have to do a quick patch up so that she will be able to be carried without making it worse than it already is."

"Shall I go to the hospital and prepare things for you?

"Please. And hurry."

**X**

Sakura gulped. _'Well this is unexpected…'_ she thought.

"Hmm? What's up Itachi?" Kisame looked over Itachi's shoulder and saw the pink haired kunoichi. He grinned and licked his lips. "Sweet. Another whore to have fun with, eh? I'll get the sake…" he paused, still studying Sakura. His eyes traveled to Sakura's hair. "Hmm… pretty exotic. Guess that means we'll have a better time."

Sakura twitched, obviously repulsed at the thought of being mistaken for a whore. "I'm exotic? Ha. Have you looked in a mirror lately, smurf?"

Kisame and Sakura both glared at each other. All tension was broken when Itachi walked over to Sakura and grabbed her chin. He lifted her face, making Sakura stare into his eyes for a second time.

"You're the weak kunoichi that's teamed up with the Kyuubi and my dear little brother, aren't you?"

"And what if I am?"

Itachi ignored her challenging jibe. "How's my little brother, hmm? Still as useless and weak as ever?"

"He's not weak! He could kick your ass anytime, any place!"

"Hmm. Last time I recall, it was he who got his ass kicked. Not mine." he commented.

Sakura, in her current position, was unable to do nothing but glower at them. She didn't have enough chakra to even heal a scratch, never mind do battle with two _Akatsukis_. It was the first time in a long time that she had ever felt this helpless.

"Hey Itachi. We could use her to clean this shit up and get food for us." Kisame smirked.

Obviously Itachi agreed, for he grabbed Sakura and threw her to the floor. To make things worse, Kisame came over and started to kick her mercilessly. He stopped as he saw Itachi head to the door. He followed and whined. "Itachi, I wasn't finished with her, dammit."

Sakura sat up slowly and coughed up blood. _'Damn them… DAMN THEM!' _she thought angrily as she tried to stand up. 'I have to at least see what wrong with me…' she thought as she began to focus what little chakra she had into her hand. She moved it around her body. '_Bruised internal organs… a screwed up leg... a bunch of scratches… and a cranial injury. Man, I'm surprised I'm still standing...' _Sakura grimaced as she struggled to stay standing.

'_I'm already screwed up. I might as well just attempt to clean up the worst of my injuries.'_ Sakura began her attempt at healing her insides. It only lasted a couple seconds before she fell to her knees. Her vision became blurry, but even so, the last thing she saw were red clouds and yellow.

**X**

It was some time before Sakura woke up. She found herself not in the kitchen, but back in Deidara's room. As she tried to sit up, a loose spring in her makeshift bed sprung up and hit her arm. "Crap!!" yelled Sakura as she nursed her wound. It was then that she noticed that about 80 of her chakra had returned.

"Alright!" shouted Sakura happily. She began right away on fixing herself up. She looked down and saw that her torso and chest were swathed in bandages, along with her head and arms.

"Umm… since when did I injure my chest…?" Sakura paused for a moment, trying to remember. All she could think of was the color yellow…

Then it clicked.

"Damn your perverted soul Deidara!!!"

Then the door opened, and in walked Deidara. "Jeez, do you always wake up screaming, un? It's frickin annoying."

"You could have at least put me on the window seat instead of this shitty thing!"

Deidara frowned. "At least I put you there instead of leaving you on the kitchen floor, un. And I thought we were working on the attitude."

Sakura looked down at her injuries, embarrassed.

"Whatever, un. Now, why were you all worked up, again?"

"My chest."

"So?"

"I never injured my chest. So, why is it in bandages?" she glared.

Deidara glared right back. "Your clothes ripped. Would you have preferred to stay naked, or at least somewhat decent?"

"Hah. I bet you just did that to get a glimpse of my cleavage, didn't you? Now who's being decent?" taunted Sakura.

"What cleavage, un? There wasn't enough there to make even the most desperate man satisfied. Besides, my-" he paused.

"Your what?" Sakura looked at him in confusion.

He sighed. "My sister. She used to train all the time, un. Therefore, she was always injured, and I would patch her up. Happy now?"

Sakura stared. "You had a sister?"

"Yeah. Went by the name of Suzume."

"What happened to her? Where is she now? Is she an Akatsuki, too?" A stream of questions babbled out of Sakura's mouth.

However, Deidara wasn't listening. He was staring out the bay window with a faraway look in his sapphire eyes. _'Man. I haven't thought of Suzume in a long time…'_ He looked at Sakura. _'She looks almost like her… only with my hair.'_

As what happens when people are stared at, Sakura started to feel very uncomfortable. "What did I do now, Deidara? You always look at me so weird… its creepy."

Deidara twitched. "Forget it." He started to leave, but then turned back and grabbed a parcel. He threw it at Sakura. "Here. Your other clothes were trashed."

"What?! I could have fixed them!!!"

"I doubt it, un. The only thing that wasn't wrecked was this." He pulled her headband out of his cloak pocket and tossed it to her. He left without another word.

Sakura turned the package over in her hands. "What's in it? I hope it's not something completely slutty, cuz then I would rather walk around naked." She pulled a wry face.

The package was rather large, but not that heavy. Sakura ripped it open and gasped at what she saw. It was a light blue yukata with sparrows in flight decorating it. Black ballerina slippers lay atop it, along with light blue chopsticks, which would hold hair in place. What surprised her most was the choker. It too, was the shape of a sparrow, but rather it was gold, with tiny sapphires for eyes. It even had realistic looking feathers engraved on it. It was positively breathtaking.

'_W-where did he… get this? It's so beautiful…'_ wondered Sakura incredulously, as she fondled the choker in her hands.

The full moon shone brightly in the night sky, illuminating the very room in which Sakura currently resided in. The sparrow choker twinkled one last time before it was placed carefully back in the package.

**X**

**Well, to all of you who know Japanese, you should know the correlation between the sparrows and the name. For you who don't know, I'm not one to ruin stuff, so (sorry… :/) Google Japanese names. :D **

**I'm excited. It has to be a record. I've never updated this fast. Maybe it's because I was subconsciously killing bunnies… umm… lol. Someone told me that every day I didn't update, somewhere a bunny was killed. The bunnies:0 ehehe… sorry.**

**I heart you all :3**

**Akatsuki-nin**


	5. Tears of Atrophy

**Hey all! Ugh, it took me soo long to figure out how I'm gonna do this story… grrr. I'm just kinda breezin along… I think. lol Thank you to everyone who decided to put this story as a fav story and posted reviews. I love them, as any writer would. I truly appreciate it; it really makes my day :D lol**

**Also: I'm sorry, but I'm putting songs in here. Its kinda cool… I think. lol If you like it: cool. we're on the same page. If you don't like it: Sorry… :( And for the ppl in between: I dunno. wat should I say?? lol ;P I heart you all!**

**Luv, Akatsuki-nin :3**

**X**

Raindrops danced upon rooftops as Konohagakure experienced a harsh thunderstorm. The hospital roof was no exception.

Tsunade came out of the emergency room, wiping sweat off her brow. Shizune followed her quietly. "About how long will she be in a coma, Lady Tsunade?"

"I don't know. She's in a mild condition, but there's nothing we can do at the moment; we must let her rest." The medic-nins sat on a bench outside Hinata's room. "The only unanswered question is where the hell Sakura is! We can't get any information because Hinata's not in a stable condition right now… we have to do something!"

Shizune stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. "The only possibilities I can think of at the moment is either she was captured, is now missing in action, or she was kil-" she was interrupted by a loud bang caused by Tsunade punching the bench.

"NO! She can't be! Sakura is too skilled for that to have happened. She was trained by me, for god sakes. She is a **medic-nin**!" The bench groaned, and then snapped, causing them to hit the floor." Tsunade hurriedly got up and brushed off her jacket. She turned to Shizune and muttered, "That never happened."

Shizune stifled a laugh. "Y-yes, my lady."

"_Anyhow…_" said Tsunade huffily, "we have to help Hinata recover as quickly as possible. We must have at least a lead to this problem. Meanwhile…" she paused. "We need to contact Jiraiya. _Fast._ Especially if we're dealing with the Akatsuki."

"Shall I organize the groups?"

"Yes. Just make sure you spread out ability and rank in each group."

"Yes ma'am." Shizune shot out a window, becoming a new object in which the raindrops would dance upon.

**X**

Deidara trudged down the long hallway to the kitchen. He arrived at the door only to swiftly turn back. "UGH! The smell is even outside the door! Something has to be done, un!" he growled, synchronizing with his stomach.

"Deidara-sempai? Can I please go through the door? I'm hungry." a masked Akatsuki whined.

"Go crazy Tobi, un" Deidara snickered to himself as he thought, _'Damn… with that stench, maybe Tobi will gag and die. Hmm… that's a nice prospect.'_

As Tobi reached for the door, a voice called out, "I wouldn't do that if I were you…"

Deidara turned angrily, wanting to see the goody-goody bastard who ruined his fun, but soon forgot his anger as he saw the interloper.

Sakura was slowly walking towards them, neatly clad in the gifts Deidara had given her. Her hair was done in a bun, and her neck bore the gold sparrow. She shifted nervously, once again caught by Deidara's astonished stare. "Dude, you really need to stop doing that…"

Tobi looked at Deidara and said cheerfully, "She's really pretty, ain't she Deidara-sempai?"

"Shut up, un." Deidara turned red and twitched as he swiftly smacked him in the back of the head.

Sakura also turned a deep shade of scarlet as she hid her face behind her hands. "Ah, um… excuse me." She rushed out and went back to Deidara's room.

"W-wai-" called Deidara, but it was too late.

"Why is she going to your room, Deidara-sempai? Is she your girlfriend? Tobi thought you-"

"I thought I told you to shut up, un!" Deidara commenced to punish Tobi by strangling him mercilessly.

"Waah! Deidara-sempaaaaii!" cried Tobi.

**X**

Sakura sat on the window seat and gazed out the window, tears threatening to fall down her face. _'H… His reaction. It reminded me of…__Naruto's. Oh Naruto…'_ The tears began their journey downward as Sakura remembered…

_**Flashback**_

"_Yay! It's festival time!" cried a 12 year old Sakura. Inner Sakura then bellowed out, "__**CHAA! TIME TO SHOW SASUKE WHATCHA GOT, GIRL!" **__she continued to walk down the busy street, dressed in a light green kimono, nervously fixing her obi, just in case she saw her long-time crush._

_Ah, festival time… a time of joy and happiness as the villagers, shinobi and citizens alike, participated in games, contests, and mingled together as one. It was a time where the citizens enjoyed the fruits of their labor, the shinobi took a break from war and bloodshed, and where children could play with friends and just have a good time. _

_Sakura turned the corner, wishing fervently to see Sasuke, but instead, found herself outside the ramen shop. It was then she wished fervently to not see who she knew would be wolfing down miso ramen._

_Naruto looked up and gaped at the sight of Sakura. It was almost like seeing a goddess from the heavens above. A piece of noodle fell out of his mouth._

"_Umm… yeah. Hi Naruto." Sakura turned away, completely disgusted. "Have you happened to see Sasuke-kun around?"_

"_N…no." Naruto shook his head and recovered. "Why would you want to look for __**him**__? Why don't you… you…" he once again became astonished._

"_No Naruto. I have to go. Later." she rushed out upon seeing Sasuke. "Ohhh Sasuke-kuuun!" _

_Naruto sighed and returned back to his ramen. "At least you won't reject me…" he smiled sadly as he once again began to eat…_

_Alone._

_**End Flashback**_

Sakura wiped away her tears. "I'm sorry Naruto… I wish I could have been nicer to you…" She then began to sing:

Hold me now  
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking  
That maybe six feet  
Ain't so far down

I'm looking down now that it's over  
Reflecting on all of my mistakes  
I thought I found the road to somewhere  
Somewhere in His grace  
I cried out heaven save me  
But I'm down to one last breath  
And with it let me say  
Let me say

_Hold me now  
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking  
That maybe six feet  
Ain't so far down…_

Sad eyes follow me  
But I still believe there's something left for me  
So please come stay with me  
'Cause I still believe there's something left for you and me  
For you and me  
For you and me

_Hold me now  
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking  
That maybe six feet  
Ain't so far down…  
_

_Hold me now  
I'm six feet from the edge and I'm thinking  
That maybe six feet  
Ain't so far down…_

_Please come now I think I'm falling  
I'm holding to all I think is safe…_

Unbeknownst to Sakura, Deidara had been outside the door, and had heard the entire song. Her sweet voice sounded like music in the wind… it sounded just like Suzume's. He shook his head and entered.

Sakura looked up, startled, and then looked away. Deidara sat beside her. Although it totally didn't fit him, he grabbed Sakura's hand, and just sat with her silently. It troubled him to see her like this. He wondered if he was going soft, and becoming like Tobi. He mentally kicked himself, and thought, _'__**NO**__.'_

"D-deidara?"

He turned and met her confused gaze. "I'm here." was all he said. Sakura sniffled appreciatively. She leaned against him and closed her eyes. She felt a small pinch in her hand, but ignored it, as she was caught up in the moment.

"Oh yeah, by the way, un…"

"What?"

Deidara let go of her hand, which now contained money. "You need to go shopping for food, un."

**(A/N- lol. I'm so terrible… ;D)**

Sakura twitched, and then punched him in the back of the head. _'Dammit! I'm so stupid!!' _she thought angrily.

"What the hell, un?!" yelled Deidara as Sakura stormed out the door.

**X**

Sakura walked down the hallway. "Why am I the biggest retard alive? Why?!" she brushed past Tobi, who turned to her and said, "Hey, it's you! The pretty girl!"

Sakura stared at Tobi strangely. "Umm… ok…"

"Oh yeah, before Tobi forgets… Tobi has to take you somewhere."

"… Why? And why do you talk in 3rd person? It's really weird."

"Tobi is a good boy. That's why. Now c'mon! Let's go!!" he cried as he grabbed Sakura's wrist.

"Whatever." sighed Sakura, as she was dragged down the hallway. "I don't care anymore…"

They soon arrived at the cell where Sakura was first thrown into. She shuddered and then started to resist Tobi's grip. "NO! I'm NOT going back in there!!!"

"But… you have to! Tobi must complete his mission!"

"No!"

A bored voice joined in the conversation. "Is there a problem Tobi? It shouldn't be that hard to grab the weak kunoichi…" Sasori appeared, and then sighed. "Good job… for once."

"Tobi is a good boy!"

"Whatever." He faced Sakura and also grabbed her wrist. "Finally. Now let's go; Leader-sama's orders must be obeyed."

Sakura flinched and struggled harder.

Back in the pitch-dark cell, Tobi and Sasori soon began to make hand-signs, and a glowing circle appeared beneath Sakura. It soon became hard to move, until she felt immobilized. 'What the hell?!' Sakura panicked as she tried to move.

"Sorry, pretty girl…" said Tobi apologetically.

Sasori snorted, as if to say, "And you call yourself an Akatsuki…"

A bright light flashed, and pain shot through Sakura's body. She felt as if she were on fire, and screamed in agony. Her legs and arms started to glow with strange signs, causing Sakura more pain. The ritual continued like this for a seemingly long time, and when it was finally over, Sakura fell to the ground. Her yukata had torn on her shoulder, and her hair was askew. She shivered in pain, and looked up. She saw nothing, but heard Sasori's voice:

"**She's even weaker than I thought…"**

The words etched and burned into her mind… she glared angrily at the direction of the voice.

"Are you ok? Tobi is very sorry…"

Sakura felt someone help her up. She shuddered once more as she was led out of the dark hell-hole.

**X**

"What are we doing here, anyways? This is so troublesome…"

Shizune closed her eyes, as if wishing for more patience. "Fine. I'll explain again. Why I have to, I'm not sure, because you're the most logical of all the ANBU, Shikamaru…"

The chuunin smirked. "This mission doesn't sound logical. That's why I'm confused, Shizune."

Shizune rolled her eyes. "Ok. We need 2 groups of 4 and 5, each well balanced in rank and ability. One group must scout the area where Hinata was first spotted, and the other group must go find Naruto and Master Jiraiya. The first group will consist of you, Shino, Neji, Tenten, and Choji. The second group will have Kiba, Yamato, Lee, and Ino."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes in return. "But why, Shizune? Jeez…"

"Because we don't know what happened to Sakura, and we don't know if the situation might turn into a full-fledged war! Now get off your lazy ass, and go find everyone!" raged Shizune impatiently.

"…Whatever… " Shikamaru sighed as he walked slowly out the door. "Troublesome woman…" When it was fully shut, Shizune sighed exasperatedly. "GAH! If he went any slower, he'd be going backwards right now!!" she sat down and awaited the return of Shikamaru and the requested shinobi.

**X**

"Hey. When are we gonna stop and eat? Aren't there any freakin ramen stands out here? Dattebayo!!!" a blonde teen whined as he marched next to a white-haired old man. The old man angrily closed his eyes, and said nothing.

"C'mon, Ero-sennin!"

"Shaddup, kid! We ain't got any cash to buy food, so don't even talk about a hotel! Just shut up, be quiet, and we'll be there shortly!"

"Shortly, my ass. That last sign said it was about 12 miles to it! Also, don't even talk to me about being short on cash. You just use my cash so you don't have to spend any of yours! Look at your checkbook! See all the zeros! Or are you getting blind and stingy with age, Ero-sennin?"

The white haired man turned to glare at the blonde. "I'm getting pretty sick of you calling me that. It's Jiraiya! _JIRAIYA_. J-I-R-A-I-Y-A! Sheesh, Naruto, you make me wonder why I even took you on as my apprentice!"

"You make me wonder why I even wanted you to be my mentor!" growled Naruto.

"It's cuz you wanted to get stronger. I'm the best way for you to achieve that! Or do you want to go back to training with Ebisu?" countered Jiraya.

Naruto twitched. "Fine. You win, Ero-sennin. Jeez, you're so grumpy today!"

"I wonder why…" Jiraiya mocked Naruto by looking like he was trying to find the answer. "Also, what did I just say a couple minutes ago?! Call me Jiraiya, or master, or anything besides Ero-sennin! Jeez!"

"Ok… Ero-sama. How does that fit you, hmm? Or how bout Ero-chan?" snickered Naruto as he imagined calling Jiraiya such undignified names.

Jiraiya groaned. It was going to be a long 12 miles.

**X**

**Muahahahaha… I love the name Ero-chan for Jiraiya… :D lol **

**Anyways… I feel like I'm focusing too much on Sakura's situation, and it kinda bothers me. Oh well. I'll change that next time. Probably more on Konoha's situations and of Jiraiya/Naruto's. I feel like I have a good story in my brain… just need to write it down before I forget… :) lol**

**w/ luv :D**

**Akatsuki-nin**


	6. Unraveling the Mysteries

**Sorry I haven't updated in a long time… it's starting to get really hard to find inspiration… Well, that and I was grounded for the longest time :/**

**Well, I hope whatever fellow readers who are still with me are excited for this new addition... as they wave their torches and pitch forks in the air… lol **

…

_**starts to run**_

**Enjoy the chapter:)**

**Akatsuki-nin

* * *

**

Dawn's first rays peeked over the treetops, and began to spread its blanket of warmth upon the land. This beauty was lost however, on one particular golden-haired shinobi. He leapt quickly from branch to branch, as if intent on finding something. He paused suddenly and looked around. Despite the warm climate, he felt a cold chill creep up his back, causing his neck hairs to stand erect.

He slowly pulled a small smirk as he turned. He had found what he was looking for. His eyes met striking purple.

"I've finally found you… after so long."

His remark was met by a stony silence. The only audible sound was the wind's distinct whisper as it caused the grass to sway. The male continued, unperturbed by the absence of sound.

"I see you haven't been rid of the curse, yet. Your chakra still emanates that distinct chill."

Purple Eyes finally spoke. "Have… you… found… a cure?" A raspy voice crawled out from the shadows.

"I have found the corresponding virgin to the prophecy… after 2 centuries worth of waiting."

"Bring… her… soon…"

He winked. "My lady, with all due hast, I shall." With that, he shot off.

The peculiar woman reveled in the shadows, trying to clench her fingers. Her impatience was as prevalent in the air as her chilly chakra.

* * *

The same rays of dawn flashed over the village of Konohagakure. A group of shinobi was meeting just outside of the village walls. 

"How the hell are we gonna find Jiraiya and Naruto?! We don't even have a clue as to where they are!"

"Kiba, that's what Akamaru is for. Do you have a brain? Use it." said Sai tonelessly.

Kiba growled and sat next to his beloved dog, who had grown a full 3 feet in height. Akamaru barked.

"Akamaru. Sniff for any signs of Jiraiya and Naruto."

Akamaru stood erect and sniffed, then sniffed at the ground eagerly. Kiba jumped up. "Have you found something, boy? Have ya?"

Ino snorted. "It's too difficult, even for Akamaru. For all we know, they probably have fallen off the earth."

"Akamaru is an intelligent canine. He will find Naruto and Jiraiya-san!" A glint of light flashed out at the doubtful group. Yamato sighed and turned to Lee. "Will you stop doing that?! That's the 5th time today! We're all gonna go blind at this rate…" Another glint met this statement.

Suddenly Akamaru started to howl. It pierced the air and the ears of the arguing shinobi. He took off, with Kiba rushing after him yelling triumphantly, "I **TOLD** you he'd find the chakra signatures!"

Yamato sighed in resignation. "Alright, alright, Kiba. Let's just try to find them…" He turned around, only to find that he was talking to himself, as the others had already rushed off after Kiba.

"Aw, jeez…"

* * *

"Tobi is very very very sorry, pretty girl! Tobi and Sasori were ordered to do it by Leader-sama. Tobi didn't want to live in eternal damnation, so Tobi had to do it! Please don't get mad at Tobi! Tobi is a good boy!!" 

Sakura growled. She had been listening to Tobi's incessant prattling for the last hour and a half, in which she had also been using to heal her latest wounds. Her temper was increasing… if this ignoramus didn't stop soon… there was going to be hell to pay…

"Tobi is-"

"SHUT UP! GOD DAMMIT TOBI, SHE GETS IT ALREADY!!"

Sakura looked up, expected to see the chiseled structure of Hidan, but instead saw him in a weird… form. It almost looked like the Grim Reaper…

"JEEZ! I'VE ALREADY HAD TO DEAL WITH THE ASSHOLE; DON'T MAKE ME DEAL WITH YOU, FUCKER!!" Hidan screeched as he pulled out his pike.

Tobi shrunk behind Sakura.

Suddenly Kakuzu entered the room, and also began to scream. "QUIT BITCHIN! JUST BECAUSE I KILLED YOUR TARGET DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO WHINE ABOUT IT!"

"WELL THANKS TO YOU, I HAVE TO STAY IN THIS FORM TIL I GET TO MY ROOM!"

"BULLSHIT! JUST GO EMO NOW! WHO CARES ABOUT THE BLOOD?! HERE, LET ME HELP YOU!!" Kakuzu ripped off his cloak and shirt and removed one of his four masks from his back. "FIRE RELEASE: INTENSE PAIN!!"

The blast managed to hit Hidan's chest, and blood spewed everywhere. Sakura gasped, and crawled away into a corner, away from the freaks…

"I COULD HAVE DONE THAT MYSELF, IDIOT!!"

The fighting match continued, until Deidara entered. He stared about the room, and then glanced at the wide-eyed Sakura. The fighting match continued, and blood continued to spill everywhere as Hidan was swiftly decapitated.

Deidara ran to Sakura, quickly picked her up, and sped out of the room. "D-Deidara-sempai!!" cried Tobi as he followed Deidara in pursuit.

They arrived at Deidara's room, and once they were inside, Deidara promptly locked the door. Much to his amusement, he heard Tobi's anguished cries for help. He sighed and sat down next to Sakura, who still seemed to be very shocked at what she had just witnessed.

"You okay, un?"

Sakura shivered. "B-blood… everywhere! Hidan… beheaded! And still alive!"

Deidara placed a comforting hand around her shoulders. "It's okay, un. They aren't here, and Hidan… well, he's just an annoying freak." This remark caused Sakura to form a very small smile.

"They're partners because Kakuzu seems to kill every partner he gets whenever he has his little fits of rage, un. Since Hidan is immortal, is ok if Kakuzu strikes him, because he'll still be alive. Get it now, un?"

Sakura nodded. A sudden thought struck through her head. This is an important time for her to receive valuable information! "So…" began Sakura slowly. "Do you have a partner?"

Deidara stared at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Nope. Well, Sasori-danna was my partner… til Tobi came along, un. I think Leader-sama thought Sasori would have more patience than me, so he paired them up. As a result, I was left alone, un."

A long pause ensued but was broken when Deidara suddenly cried, "Un! What happened to that yukata I gave you?!"

Sakura flinched. "I don't remember clearly… All I remember is flashing light and searing pain."

Deidara sighed. "Do you think you can have it patched up by tomorrow, un?"

"I-I guess so… it's only torn on the shoulder and hemline… why?"

"Cuz we have stuff to do, un." smirked Deidara as he stood up.

"If you're still talking about buying groceries, then you must really have a messed up mind." Sakura twitched irritably. "I haven't even fully healed myself yet…"

Before she got a chance to finish, the door slammed. Sakura sighed and went to Deidara's closet. "Since these are my only clothes, I hope he doesn't mind me taking a few of his…" Sakura smirked as she pulled off her yukata. Oh, the look on Deidara's face will be so sweet…

After what seemed like hours of sewing, Sakura held up the yukata and admired her handiwork. Not a rip or tear was to be seen. Satisfied, Sakura stood up and wiped her brow. Her stomach growled painfully; the result of no food for roughly 3 days straight.

"Need… food…" groaned Sakura. However, inside she knew that the Akatsuki had no food, and that even if they did, it was most likely rotten amid the atmosphere of the kitchen. 'It's worth a try to look, at least…' thought Sakura as she sped out of the room, still clad in Deidara's mesh shirt and pants.

She turned the corner and ran past Kisame and Itachi. Kisame stared strangely after the fleeing kunoichi, and commented, "Umm… did you just see what I thought I saw?"

"We don't have time to wonder about the insane; we have work to do." said Itachi as he turned the corner.

"Damn, Itachi. You're seriously no fun…"

Sakura had reached the kitchen entrance. She took a deep breath and held it. It was probably going to be her last catch of pure air before she entered.

Nothing had significantly changed, as most of the Akatsuki were smart enough to steer clear of the offending area.

Sakura groaned in sync with her stomach. Nothing edible was in sight… just… _filth_. Sakura wondered how they could have possibly survived for so long. She decided to start with the sinks and counters. Mice and cockroaches scurried away as their habitat was scrubbed clean by a very disgusted kunoichi.

As she cleaned, she thought about her current situation… and of Deidara.

'As far as things seem to be security-wise, there doesn't seem to be much… but then again, I'm in a base full of S-ranked criminals… so that kind of rules out. Also, I'm supposed to be a hostage, but they don't seem to have anyone tailing me. It almost seems as if they don't even care about me… maybe I'm just a tool…" Sakura wiped her forehead as she scrubbed.

'Why am I here? What do they want with me? How do they know me… and why did they perform that... whatever that weird ritual was… on me?' The counters were done, and she moved onto the sink. 'I don't get it!!' She shook her head in frustration.

'Lastly… what's up with Deidara? I… I wonder what he's really like… He doesn't seem like the type to be so stoic, but he doesn't really talk that much. Yet… in his room. When I talked about how I felt about art, he totally hugged me! Dammit, doesn't anything make sense?!"

She had finished the sink, and angrily took the scrubber and chucked it out the window, resulting in a loud crash.

"Aw crap…" grumbled Sakura as she went to fetch a broom.

* * *

Shikamaru Nara stared around the area where Hinata had been found. Outside the village gates was a vast area of heavy wood; anything could have happened, but where? 

"Shikamaru." A voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"What are we supposed to be looking for? Signs of battle? Blood? Scraps of clothes?"

"That would be our ideas of leads, yeah Choji..."

Choji munched on some barbecue chips. "Where'd the others go? Weren't we supposed to just scout this area?"

Shikamaru yawned. "Neji saw something in the distance with his byakugan, so he and Shino were gonna go check that out…"

Tenten stared at Shikamaru, sighing in frustration. "Can't you at least get off your ass and look for stuff in this area while we're waiting?"

"Hmm… that'd be damaging to my rep, now wouldn't it?" Shikamaru winked lazily.

Two figures suddenly shot into the clearing.

"Sweet. They're back." said Choji as he licked his fingers and crumpled up the bag.

"Shikamaru-" Neji began, but paused. "What are you doing? Can you at least get off you ass to see this?" he raised his eyebrows expectantly.

Tenten soul punched. "Oh my god, Neji! I _just_ said that to him!" Tenten flushed. "Great minds think alike, ne?"

Neji ignored her, much to her disappointment. "You have to see this."

"Alright… We'll talk on the way there."

They ran into the forest, Shino up front leading the group.

"So what's up? What did you find?" asked Shikamaru.

"We found an area that seems to have been the setting of a battle. Trees were either snapped in half or burned, and Shino's bugs found blood."

"Were they able to discover whose?"

"Well… It was Hinata-sama's and Sakura-san's."

"Sakura's?"

They had abruptly stopped, as they had arrived in the clearing. The desolate battle grounds were exactly as Neji had described.

"Are there any indications of who the attackers were?"

"We have a bit of a theory, but it may come off as a bit far-fetched." Neji grimaced as he inspected a snapped tree trunk.

"Is it about the Akatsuki?" said Tenten quietly.

Everyone turned to face her. She was sitting down, leaning her back against the tree, eyes closed in thought.

"How did you know…?" inquired Shino.

Tenten raised her eyebrows. "I'm not retarded. I get my information from my sources." She stood up and brushed the dirt off her outfit. "I've heard that Sakura's been kidnapped, but it's supposed to be hushed up… I can see why. What village wouldn't freak if one of their best medic-nins was missing? Rumors would fly… of course chaos would reign, and the Hokage would be to blame."

"Jeez, Tenten. Thank god you're on our side." breathed Choji uneasily. He shook his head. "But still, where does Hinata come into play? Why would the Akatsuki just let her go?"

"It could have been a lure. Hinata did get close to Sakura after both their crushes disappeared. Kind of a support thing, you know? So if anything happened to Hinata, Sakura would have definitely gone to rescue her, and land into the trap. The hostages were switched, and the Akatsuki completed their mission. Hinata was left to die." finished Shikamaru.

"Sakura must be with them, then. This all makes sense if you add the note the Akatsuki sent. That must have also been part of their plan." concluded Choji.

"Good. At least we know what could be going on. Let's head back and report to Tsunade-sama." said Shino.

* * *

"Tsunade-sama! We have-" 

A spluttering sound came from behind the door.

"C-come in…"

The group entered to find Tsunade's front dripping wet, and an empty sake bottle lay on her desk.

"Can't you enter a room more quietly?!" Tsunade growled as she tried to wipe off her desk. "Whatever. What did you come in to report?"

"Tsunade-sama. We have important news, but we have to speak with Hinata first. Is she awake yet?" questioned Shikamaru.

"Well, sort of. I mean, she's not in any condition to talk to anyone, though."

"Ma'am, it's very important for our mission. Can we go see her please?" pleaded Tenten.

Tsunade sighed with resignation. "Fine, but all this talk about your mission; let me hear about it. Sounds like you got something good going."

Shino stepped up. "We were scouting the area, just like you told us to. As soon as we got there, Neji-san spotted something with his Byakugan in the distance, so he and I went to go investigate it while the rest stayed behind. When found it, it unveiled signs of a battle, somewhere southeast of the main gate." he paused.

"And?" Tsunade said expectantly.

"Trees were either burned or completely snapped in half altogether. Burn marks disturbed the ground, and my bugs determined that Hinata-san and Sakura-san's blood was prevalent."

Tsunade stood up quickly. "Are you serious? Where is she?! What's happened to her?!"

"Please allow me to continue, Tsunade-sama. We have also determined that what probably happened was that Sakura found out about the kidnapping, and went to rescue Hinata. However, she was probably switched with Hinata, and is now the hostage. Hinata must have been a lure to get her out there." finished Shino.

"She didn't 'find out about it'… I sent her there on a mission to rescue Hinata." said Tsunade grimly. "Dammit. How could… what do they need her for?!"

"We have to leave the answers to those questions for the other group to find." said Choji.

"Go talk to Hinata now! I don't care what it takes, just do it! NOW!" bellowed Tsunade as she hit her desk with her hand.

The ninjas scrambled out the door as fast as they could, and headed towards the Konoha hospital.

* * *

The hell-hole was finally clean, and Sakura had gone back to Deidara's room, stomach still growling. She had fallen asleep in the window seat, the early afternoon rays of sun hitting her innocent face. 

The door opened, and Deidara entered. It took a minute before he could take the strange sight in. 'W-why is cherry… what the hell is she wearing?!' he exclaimed in his mind.

A light snore hit his ears, and he smirked. "Ha-ha, girls DO snore, un!" he sang quietly.

"Ha-ha, no we DON'T!" Sakura had opened her eyes, and winked.

Deidara had learned a long time ago not to show his surprise. "You did, I heard it, little cherry. Also... What the hell are you wearing, un?"

"You trashed my clothes, and I was fixing the yukata. Sorry to disappoint you, but I wasn't gonna walk around naked." said Sakura sweetly as she repositioned herself on the seat.

"Whatever. We have to go. Put on the yukata, un." _Dammit! Whyyyyyyy???_

"Now is not the time to get groceries, dammit! I just finished cleaning the kitchen…" growled Sakura.

"You don't have much of a choice, un. Remember who you're talking to, cherry."

"You suck." mumbled Sakura. She looked up. He was still there, impatiently waiting. "We're not going anywhere if you don't turn around, pervert."

He turned. "Hurry up, un."

She proceeded to change with utmost speed. Without her knowledge, Deidara turned his head a little bit. Her figure was beautiful… but she was lacking grace. He chuckled silently as she fell over.

After what seemed like forever to Deidara, she was finished. She pulled out the fan and twirled. "Hahaha! Good as new!" she laughed.

"That's good… that yukata means a lot to me. Let's go, un."

She stared at his back as they left. 'There he goes again. I'm positive that he's hiding his real self! I.. part of me wants to try to get it to come out, but then again, I have to get out of here!' She thought in frustration as they left the main door.

The breeze felt good after being stuck in the musty Akatsuki base. She walked slowly to savor everything.

She heard Deidara sigh. "I wanna get back before dark, un, so…" He suddenly picked up Sakura bridal style and shot up among the trees. She gasped at the sudden nature of it all.

"What are you doing?!"

"Giving you a lift. I wanna get back before dark, and you were walking too slowly, un." he replied.

Sakura flushed. "Sorry! I hadn't been out for a long time, you know!"

He said nothing as he reached the next tree branch. The kunoichi looked up at him curiously. He held her gently as they continued their journey.

They had finally reached the town, and she got down. She looked at all the vendors, wondering what they were going to get.

He chucked a small sack towards her, and she caught it deftly in the air, and looked inside.

"Let's go get food. There's your money, un."

"So this is where it went! You SUCK!" yelled Sakura.

He grinned. "C'mon… I was just… keeping it safe from Kakuzu, un!"

She rolled her eyes as she went up to a vegetable stand.

"Hello! Can I get... this… this, and this?" said Sakura politely as she handed over some money to the man.

"Sure, girly!" As he got a bag, his eyes spotted Deidara. "Is that your boyfriend?" He asked cheerfully as he filled up the bag.

"Wha-wha?! Uh, um-" Before she could finish, Deidara had come up from behind, and swiftly kissed her on the cheek. He held her around her waist tightly.

"I sure am, un!" He winked as pulled Sakura closer. She blushed brilliantly.

"What a lucky guy! Here, I'll throw in a couple more things for free!"

"W-wait, sir, I-"

The vendor shoved the bag into Sakura's arms and waved as Deidara led them away. "Have fun, you kids!"

The last statement made Sakura's entire face red.

"Ooh, what'd we get, un?" said Deidara as he rummaged through the bag.

"Am I missing something here?" said Sakura confusedly.

"No… Looks like you got everything. Why, un?" said Deidara quizzically.

"What the- No! I'm talking about you. Why are you acting so weird? Why-"

"Ah, the personality changes. I'm not schizo, so no worries there. I just act stoic in the base, un." said Deidara as he examined a carrot.

"Why?!"

Deidara's eyes narrowed as he put the carrot back. "I didn't always want to be a part of Akatsuki, un."

Further conversation was cut as they walked though the other stands. Much to Sakura's embarrassment, the vendors did the exact same thing as the first man and gave them free stuff in their overjoyment of seeing such a "cute couple".

"Thank g_od_ it's finally over." sighed Sakura as she sat down amid the bulging bags on a hill in the outskirts of the town.

Deidara sat down beside her, reached into a bag, and pulled out an apple. He took a big bite as he leaned back in the grass.

"What are you doing? That was for dinner!" reprimanded Sakura.

"I do what I want, when I want, and however I want, un." commented Deidara as he munched on his snack. "Besides, apples don't go in curry."

"It was… never mind."

It was quiet once more, except for Deidara's loud munches.

"Deidara?"

"Hmm?" His mouth was completely full. He chucked the core down the hill.

'_What a pig.'_ Sakura frowned. "Why are you in the Akatsuki if you don't like it?"

He swallowed, and his eyes narrowed. "I was defeated in battle and was forced to join, un."

"By who?"

"Forget that." He turned to face her. "I've been wondering... Why are you still here if no one's stopping you from escaping, un?"

Sakura closed her eyes.

"You think I haven't asked myself the same thing?"

* * *

**Ooh, tension. Haha just kidding. But seriously, anyone think they know why:P** **Review your ideas! B-but also leave me some love. It's nice to read those sort of things too! lol**

**Got more in store for you guys!! OMG ima soooo excited. I planned the whole story out when I was grounded, and I must say- ima proud of myself… _sniff_…**

**Wow that sounded weird… anyways, til really soon:3**

**Akatsuki-nin**


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